Range Rover is going electric without ditching the V8

Range Rover has always been good at silence. Of course, not complete silence. There was still a V8 somewhere under the bonnet, a low rumble in the background, reminding you that there was a lot of power behind all the leather, glass and quiet confidence.

Now Range Rover wants to see what happens when the growl goes away.

The first fully electric Range Rover is due to arrive by the end of 2026, and JLR is already trying to prepare it as the best version of the car. Not the cleanest. Not the most politically convenient. Best.

That’s a big claim for a nameplate built on petrol engines, diesel torque, air suspension and rich people crossing muddy plains before lunch.

Numbers help. The Range Rover Electric is expected to use a 118kWh battery, provide a range of approximately 373 miles, and produce 542hp with 627lb-ft of torque from a dual-motor all-wheel-drive setup. This puts it slightly ahead of the current 4.4-liter V8 on horsepower and close to the plug-in hybrid flagship.

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It should suit the Range Rover personality better than many expected. Electric power is quiet, smooth and quick. These are not strange qualities for a Range Rover. Those are basically the objectives.

V8 stays in the picture

JLR is not forcing every buyer into the same future. The facelifted Range Rover is expected to have a wide spread of engines including a mild-hybrid six-cylinder model, a plug-in hybrid, a diesel and a BMW-sourced twin-turbo V8. EV will sit beside them, not erase them.

This is probably the smartest part of the plan. Luxury buyers love options. Some people would like to build the quietest Range Rover ever. Others still will want the V8 because it feels familiar, powerful, and emotionally right in a large luxury SUV.

Range Rover can sell both stories simultaneously. The redesign itself looks subtle. Spy shots show a pseudo-prototype testing at the Nürburgring, which is likely to feature changes to the grille, lighting and bumpers rather than a complete visual reset.

It’s expected to feature a new curved infotainment screen while keeping plenty of the physical controls in the cabin, which will delight anyone tired of luxury cars turning every basic function into a touchscreen hunt.

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Electric one will not be cheap

Range Rover isn’t planning to sell its first EV as a discount experiment.

Prices have not been confirmed, but reports suggest the electric model could sit at a level comparable to a high-end Autobiography, with the figure exceeding $150,000 in some markets.

JLR seems to be comfortable with this. The company is betting that buyers will pay more for the smoothest, quietest and possibly fastest Range Rover, while other luxury brands often struggle to charge a premium for EVs.

The interest is already there. JLR has revealed the Range Rover Electric with a waiting list of over 38,000, which suggests the idea has caught on even before the car reaches showrooms.

Range Rover doesn’t need its EV to replace the V8 overnight. It needs an electric version to feel like a Range Rover first, and an EV version later.

If JLR achieves this, silence could become the new luxury engine note.